Bill Johnson’s Feelings Hurt For Being Called ‘False Teacher’

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. – 2 Peter 2:1

Recently, a member of our Facebook group alerted us to a review that she had written on Amazon about false teacher, Bill Johnson, to which he replied that he was “hurt” by her remarks.

His reply,

The problem, however, is that we do know quite a bit about his relationship with Jesus. The Scriptures tell us that we will know false teachers by their fruits.

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? – Matthew 7:16

So let’s examine some of Bill Johnson’s fruits, shall we?

Johnson is the senior pastor of Bethel Church, Redding, CA. The church is a highly charismatic, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) church that is widely known for its music. Johnson’s theological teachings are dangerous. For example, he promotes Eastern mysticism as a means to deepen your experience with God. He’s also a proponent of the heretical Latter Rain theology that teaches that there will be an end time “revival” initiated by an “Elijah Generation.”

The problem with false teachers like Bill Johnson isn’t that they aren’t committed to or don’t believe in what they do. They do. But what they believe in is not of God. Though in some cases it may have an appearance of godliness, it certainly denies the power thereof. Johnson’s “Jesus” that he supposedly has this relationship with is not the Jesus of the Bible. It’s a Jesus that needs to be experienced on a deeper, mystical level–on a level that isn’t revealed to us in Scripture. An experience that only false apostles and prophets can reveal. A Jesus that makes you feel good about uniting with Christianity’s greatest enemy in history, Rome. A Jesus that desires good, sound doctrine be set aside in the name of love, peace, and prosperity.

The real Jesus, however, did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matt 10:34). Jesus came to set believers apart from unbelievers and commands us to stand on the foundation of solid, biblical doctrine–something Bill Johnson does not believe in. Not everyone who bears the name of brother is a true believer, and those who are deemed to be false, we shall not associate with (1 Corinthians 5:11). If calling Bill Johnson a false teacher hurts his feelings, then perhaps he needs to examine himself to see if he is truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). And upon his findings, when rightly compared to the truth of Scripture, maybe, just maybe, he should repent.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23